Samsung Shows Off a Foldable Prototype That Merges Phone and Tablet (usatoday.com) 53
At its developer conference Wednesday, Samsung introduced its new Infinity Flex Display, a foldable OLED screen that can allow manufacturers like Samsung to create new, unique devices such as a phone that folds out to become a tablet-like device with a larger display. From a report: "The foldable display lays the foundation for a new kind of mobile experience," said DJ Koh, president and CEO of Samsung IT and mobile communications division, in a statement. "We are excited to work with developers on this new platform to create new value for our customers." Although the product shown Wednesday was just a prototype, the company plans to release a consumer product that features the technology in the coming months. In addition to creating the hardware, Samsung has partnered with Google to work on the software to make sure apps work seamlessly regardless of whether the display is folded in a "smartphone-like" mode or opened fully as akin to a tablet.
Pretty cool (Score:1)
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From TFA:
"In addition to creating the hardware, Samsung has partnered with Google to work on the software to make sure Android apps work seamlessly regardless of whether the display is folded in a "smartphone-like" mode or opened fully like a tablet. The app you were using when the device is closed will be there when you open up the phone in tablet mode.
When the display is fully unfolded, users will be able to have three apps open at once.
Google calls these devices "foldables" and is adding support for Andr
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This was pretty cool the first ten times companies did it.
Kinda how I felt about it.
The iPhone 6 was foldable too (Score:1)
But it didn't catch on.
Until I see a movie of this thing, not still photos I kinda suspect it's just a kludge.
What I think might be better than this would be the haptic combination of normal phone and a google glass. So the idea would be you hold your regular phone up and the google glass paints a larger phone arround it. You then get all the tactile interactions with the physical part of the image-- the actual phone but the benefits of a larger display when you need it.
Thus the etherealness and problems
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Just saw the video. It looks lame. A big chunk brick. Since they say the display is much much thinner (no glass, half the thickness polarizer) why does it need to be so thick? Should be thinner right?
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According to Ars, Samsung "disguised the elements of the design" with a case. Or maybe it's just a clunky early prototype and they didn't want to admit it, who knows. If it actually ends up being such a brick, I doubt anyone would actually want it though.
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Just saw the video. It looks lame. A big chunk brick. Since they say the display is much much thinner (no glass, half the thickness polarizer) why does it need to be so thick? Should be thinner right?
I am getting confused. Do we hate phone companies for making thin phones, or do we hate it when they make thick phones? Can someone help? What is the acceptable thickness where I should stop trolling?
Even more impressive (Score:3)
If the clip is to be believed, the display continuity is the extra feature that makes this a never-been-done-before item.
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Now only if Android on a tablet wasn't an infuriating shit show mish-mash of applications that don't rotate or scale properly to the larger screen.
Wow!
And Slashtards whine about iOS...
Game-changing... maybe (Score:4, Interesting)
This could make for an awesome device. I currently own both a phone and a tablet simply because there are so many things which work better with a tablet - but a tablet has obvious, significant portability issues.
Whether this is truly game-changing, though, will come down to the mundane details regarding just how reliable and durable the tech turns out to be.
Re:Game-changing... maybe (Score:4, Interesting)
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When did you receive yours? I would be waiting until December sometime if I ordered today...
Re: Game-changing... maybe (Score:2)
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But it's only a 7.3" tablet. Some phones aren't that far off from that. This thing, from the video, has two screens, one for the phone and the other for the tablet. Might as well just get the larger phone and have fewer things to worry about.
I have a small, 4", phone and a 9" tablet and I like that combination. I use my phone as a phone, communications device, and a few things for shopping. My tablet is for reading, games, and a light mobile computer. Now if they can get the phone to unfold twice so the tab
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The Nexus 7 was 7" and that was pretty popular. Although with a large phablet like the Note9 I there's probably not much of a need for it. Still, someone might prefer a device with more compact dimensions, and perhaps they'll make them in different sizes.
Video (Score:5, Informative)
Here's the important bit [youtube.com]
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Obvious to whom? (Score:2)
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Dumb: a big display you have to open to the phone to see.
Obvious: a big display on the outside.
Lemme just check - does the folding screen use gorilla glass or other non-easily scratched material?
Answer - not likely (yet anyway).
So that means the folding screen is going to be a lot less tough than our current Gorilla Glass models.
Dumb: having your fragile, expensive folding screen on both exterior sides and one edge of your phone, where it will encounter significant friction exposure when carried or placed on a surface
Obvious: protecting the folding screen internally
Major blow to graphene (Score:1)
People have been talking about foldable phones as a killer application for graphene. Samsung is the leader in graphene research, but this phone appears to be OLED.
That is a major setback towards commercialization of graphene or other nanomaterials like silicon nanowires; if Samsung found it not valuable to pursue graphene in this application then it's likely not feasible.
they need more than that... (Score:2)
Do we really want this? (Score:3)
In fact, I recall Dona Sarkar at Microsoft discussing how MS wasn't going to go this route because they don't see the future being a 2-in-1 device like a phone and mini tablet. The phone will be slightly too big and the tablet slightly too small, she mused. I tend to agree. When I want a tablet, I want a 10" or 12" device and don't want it integrated with my mobile phone.
I'll wait and see on this one.
Since noone has posted that this is repeat hype (Score:1)
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Hay guys did you know that Samsung is about to release a foldable tablet? This isn't like all those other times they said they were about to release a foldable tablet because _______________
You noticed that too?
What horrible detail did they need to hide? (Score:3)
I already have both though :( (Score:1)
Great to have one! (Score:1)
Old tech (Score:1)
YAWN...Westworld has had this tech for, like, forever. Samsung is just playing catch up to Delos like they always have. Old news.
Future design I'd like (Score:2)
I've long thought a useful future design would be a phone that looks like (or even functions as) a pen while in basic telephone mode. One end is the earpiece, the other the mic. When it's tablet time, you then pull and unscroll a flexible screen up out of it's side, as two opposing armatures spring out from each end to hold the top in place, you now have a very thin tablet with a round base. Obviously that kind of screen tech isn't here yet, but that would seem pretty nifty to me, and certainly easy to poc